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Esta TerBlanche, Fan Favorite Soap Opera Star, Has Died At 51

Esta TerBlanche was a South African actress whose first language was Afrikaans, so of course she played a Hungarian princess - who ad-libbed a lot - on Days of Our Lives. - The New York Times

How Doing A Comedic Horror Movie Sent Penelope Wilton’s Fame Sky-High

Sure, yes, she’s the prime minister when the Daleks come in Doctor Who, but what really helped her with the Youngs was acting in Shaun of the Dead. - The Guardian (UK)

Cheng Pei-pei, Hong Kong’s Queen Of Swords And Star Of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Has Died At 78

“In a career-spanning six decades, Cheng burst on to the scene in the 1960s, becoming a star for Shaw Brothers Studios, the Hong Kong production company modelled on the Hollywood studios that became internationally famous for action films and period martial arts epics” (aka wuxia). - The Hollywood Reporter

Bernice Johnson Reagon, Founder Of Sweet Honey In The Rock And Legendary Activist Through Song, Has Died At 81

Reagon, also a cultural historian who worked at the Smithsonian, “was an original member in 1962 of the Freedom Singers, a vocal quartet that provided anthems of defiance for civil rights protesters preparing to confront the police or as they were hauled away to jail.” - The New York Times

Cross Dorothy Parker With Mae West, Have Her Date Frank Serpico And Then Run A Dive Bar. Who Do You Get?

Betty Cooper, that's who. "For decades she lived at the center of a bohemian New York that long ago faded into mythology. … Betty mingled with artists, writers and entertainers. She even had a romance with one of the most famous undercover cops of all time." - The New York Times

Bob Newhart Dead At 94

"His understated comedy routines that emphasized the absurdities of ordinary life made him a national sensation. (He) became the first comedian with a No. 1 record and the star of two long-running sitcoms (and is) regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern comedy." - The Washington Post (MSN)

Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson Convicted On All Fraud Charges

The online news outlet, founded in 2013, collapsed in 2021 after Watson and other execs were caught lying to potential investors with wildly inflated figures for audience size, valuation, and earnings. Watson, convicted of identity theft, securities fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy, faces up to 37 years in prison. - CNN

2024 Kennedy Center Honors Go To Francis Ford Coppola, Bonnie Raitt, Anturo Sandoval, The Grateful Dead, The Apollo Theater

"Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said there isn’t a theme when selecting the honorees, but one often emerges organically. This year, that accidental theme is 'a reflection of American culture through its music and how music is used to create American culture.'" - The Washington Post (MSN)

Ford And Mellon Foundations Name Final Class Of Disability Futures Fellows

"The initiative, (20 unrestricted grants of $50,000 each to disabled creative artists,) administered by United States Artists, named its inaugural class of fellows in 2020. … The second class was announced in 2022, and this is the last cohort in the program." - The New York Times

Pete Wells, New York Times’s Most Entertaining Restaurant Critic Ever, Is Moving On

"A funny thing happened when I got to the end of all that eating: I realized I wasn’t hungry. I’m still not, at least not the way I used to be. And so … I’ve decided to bow out as gracefully as my state of technical obesity will allow." - The New York Times

When Police Came For Her Child-Molesting Husband, Alice Munro Told Them Her Daughter Was Lying

Retired Ontario Provincial Police Detective Sam Lazarevich recalled coming to arrest Gerald Fremlin in 2004 and the furious reaction from Munro; he remembers thinking "Aren't you going to defend your daughter?" Police already had Fremlin's letter confessing the sexual abuse; it had been sent to Munro 11 years earlier. - AP

Peter Schjeldahl And The Art Of Dying

Like Karl Marx and Jim Harrison, who died at their desks, and George Orwell, who was writing a book review when he died, Schjeldahl wrote until the end. We can be grateful for that because we have this book. - The New York Times

Former British Museum Head Gets A Shiny New Job

In the release, the commission said it had chosen Hartwig Fischer, 61, because of his “global expertise in leading international cultural institutions and museums.” It did not mention Fischer’s time at the British Museum. - The New York Times

A Budding Career at 94: Never Give Up On Your Dreams

After all, June Squibb not only has a new movie out, but, at 94, she’s got her first starring role. - The Guardian (UK)

Dorothy Lichtenstein, Who Worked Tirelessly To Give Her Husband Roy’s Art Away, Has Died At 84

“She did not want the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, of which she was co-founder and president, to continue in perpetuity. ‘We are working toward a sunset in 2026,’” says the foundation’s executive director, who said that “there was still some artwork and roughly $40 million in cash.” - Boston Globe

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